Off topic - Stress relief

[ngerasimatos]

What does everyone here do for work, or for fun when not stressing over credit and money?

Since I have found this forum and taking a renewed interest in finally clearing my credit from identity theft I don't spend much free time doing anything else... other than pulling credit reports daily, printing out DV letters/dispute letters, and occasionally going out to the bar and getting smashed (probably a release from all this credit stress).

I spend quite a bit of time at work, in excess of 50+ hours weekly. I am a Support Analyst for Microsoft, its a good job and I enjoy it greatly.

So, what is everyone else into?

[Anonymous]

I'm an instructional designer - which is fancy-talk for I design and develop training materials for corporations.

For fun, I read (Just finished Duma Key by Stephen King - good stuff!) and as stress relief I stuff my face. Which is not such a good thing to do, since I had a very stressful day and downed 2 cupcakes and a really good piece of dark chocolate. And some pizza.  I wish I could say that for stress relief I run or do yoga, but exercise = pain. I do it, but only because I have to.

[Anonymous]

I never stress about money. I expect that that is part of my recreation. Stressing about credit and money used to own me. Now I just coast.

I too work 60 hours a week but I live in an apartment to keep things simple and I either ride my motorcycle or go backpacking every weekend.

For those of you who are sure your life will always be hell, I can assure you it does not have to be.

[Anonymous]

I stay at home right now,  use my treadmill, do weights trying to get in shape for my 50's when I get there.  lol.   My hubby is an inspector for a gas company.  Our kids are grown.  We have a new granddaughter she will be 1 year old in sept. 08.  Vicki

[Anonymous]

I used to have a life.

Back before I got caught up in this stupid credit mess. Now all I seem to do is to obsess on how to get out of this freaking mess.

Now all I seem to do is to stress about the FICO score. I stress about what is going on with the disputes. I visit credit boards now and seek answers.

For years, I never had credit issues. I had no idea that a world like this even existed. I've never really had any kind of money issues, so I really never needed credit, until this refinance of my house started to come up.

I try to keep my sense of humor, but this entire thing is just draining. It frustrates me that agencies have this much control over my life, and even though I don't have a lot of debt, this has really set off something inside of me that has me convinced to get myself debt free, because once I have this house refinanced, I will never allow myself to get caught in a situation such as this again.

Something else that really has affected me. It's reading the stories of people that have it worse than I do. I've thought a lot about how hard it is for those who have had bankruptcy's and have had collection agencies hounding them. I've seen a lot of stories where people are just getting by and barely have the money to make ends meet. It's been a sad thing to see, and if you have a heart at all, it really gets to you.

It just seems so unfair to me that people can make mistakes, or have tragedies hit them, and they seem to have to pay a higher price than what people who intentionally break the law have to do. This has been a very eye opening experience to me.

[Anonymous]

Well,  I work in local government, so that takes up a bunch of my time....the past four weeks have been concentrated here...the info, support and stories are real motivators...this place has been both a nasty obesssion and a great comfort...stress relief...well this is a clean forum so ....LOL

[ngerasimatos]

I agree its sad that the credit bureaus have to much control over our lives.

I obsess over my credit daily, and whats even worse is while I admit some items may be mine and I have made my fair share of mistakes, the MAJOR ones are NOT mine and they are ruining my future.

I just want to get from "under the bus" and move on with my life. Having to pay cash for everything constantly and never having a large CC to make taking a vacation or trip more affordable (ability to spread out the balance over 5-6 months) makes life less enjoyable.

Message Edited by ngerasimatos on 03-05-2008 07:42 PM

[atlastontheroad]

Funny, as obsessed with checking the fora, the scores, the balances and all that as I am,  I find this obsession has in and of itself relieved me of a huge stressor: the UNKNOWN.  You know, the credit monster?  The one that hides in your mailbox?  Gone, vanquished, ne'er to be seen in these parts again!

So, for now I'm back at the gym three times a week, working fulltime, in the middle of a second master's degree.  While I'm on the treadmill, I get to daydream and plan.

Setting financial goals is now fun, planning additions to perennial gardens, heck, half of the 150 bulbs I planted last fall are peeking up already! 

But what keeps me going is the thought that a year from now I'll be able to wander over to the CC board and not get booted for having humiliatingly low FICOs. 

Living life and being able to look forward to enjoying each day without the massive weight of the unknown....

.....at(long)last

[ngerasimatos]

I long for the day that I can walk into a Best Buy or other major retailer and when they ask "Do you want to apply for a CC with 0% and no payments for 12 months" I yell "YES!" enthusiatically, am approved and walk away triumphant!

[fishbjc]

I work 30 hrs per week as an office manager, going on my 27th year.  I work p/t @ Kohl's to simply receive the discount and get a few smaller bills paid off.

We love to travel, especially Europe.

We have a grown son, 27, college grad living on his own in NC.  Four cats indoors, and eight outdoors.  Tons of friends, large family.

Credit is a stressor, but since Nov. I've added 100 pts to dh's scores.  We've recently got cards that we need, so we're not apping until June for NFCU.  New home, 4 years, two autos.  No need for additional cards, that's a great feeling!  Time is the KEY word.